Means for delivery of mail and other matter from aeroplanes while in motion



Jan. 19, 1932. s-n w 1,841,766

MEANS FOR DELIVERY OF MAIL AND OTHER MATTER FROM AEROPLANES WHILE INMOTION Filed Aug. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 19, 1932. H. F.STILWELL MEANS FOR DELIVERY OF MAIL AND OTHER MATTER FROM AEROPLANESWHILE IN MOTION Filed Aug. 26, 1929 3 I 2 m u.

2 v 2 n W J 19 22 J W x o 2 1, A I a 5 YIN-3 Patented Jan. 19, 1932UNITED STATES HENRY Is. STTIIWELL, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS KEANE FORDELIVERY HAIL -AND I Application filed August 20,

This invention relates to improvements in devices for deliveringorreleasing mail or the like from an aircraft, while the latter is inflight. It is designed to make it possible to deliver mail, commercialparcels, army emergency supplies, etc., while the craft is in flight,and with the least possible danger to air personnel, and the parcelshandled. With my device, mail or other parcels may be delivered whilethe aircraft is travelling at any speed, and allow the mail or otherparcels to be deposited on the landing surface practically at anydesired oint.

The primary object of ,the invention is suspended from a rope or cablehaving its upper end wound about a drum on the air: craft, and thedevice being so constructed as to instantaneously release mail or thelike, as soon as the device strikes a package landing surface over whichthe craft is flying. With theforegoing objects outlined and with otherobjects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, theinvention consists in the novel features hereinafter de scribed indetail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my device. Fig.2 isa similarw view but taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionalview on the" line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view ofthe device.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of an aeroplane in the act of delivering asack of mail- .by means of my device.

It will be seen from the drawings that the device comprises a centralframe,-column or post 6, having a cylindrical bore 7 extendingvertically therethrough and merging at its upper end into across groove7a.

Upper and lower pairs of cross arms 8 and 9 cross one another and .havetheir central portions connected to the to provide a release devicedesigned to be p ornnn m'r'rnn. mom maornanns wnnn IN MOTION 1929.Serial No. 888,546.

The outer ends of these arms carry shafts or bolts 11 on whichintermediate portions of legs 12, 13, 1 and 15 are fulcrumed, and thesefulcrums allow the legs to rock back and forth relatively to the centralframe. However, for the purposes of the present inven-' tion, it isnecessary that these legs swing 1n unison, so that when the lower end ofeither one of the legs strikes against the ground surface, while thedevice is suspended from an 55 aircraft, all of the legs will rock ontheir fulcrums to the same degree as the leg which has struck theground. For this purpose, the upper end of the leg 12 is provided with aair of pivotally' mounted arms 16 which pro- 05 ect toward the centralframe and carry at their ends cams .17 which slide in dove-tail grooveson the central frame. These camsslide against fixed cams 17a which arerigidly connected to the inner surfaces of the upper (0 ends of the legs13 and 15. From this itwill be seen that when the upper end of the leg12 swings away from the central frame, the. cams will cause theupper-ends of the legs 13 and 15 to swing away from the frame an equal76 amount. j y

.The leg 13 is also provided above its fulcrum with a similar pair'ofpivotally mounted arms 18 carrying movabletams 19 which slide indove-tail grooves 20 in the central frame, o and coact with fixed cams21 that are rigidly mounted on the inner surfaces of the legs 12 and14:. v a

The cams 17 and 17 a are maintained in enement by a coiled spring 22which has its ends connected to the legs 13 and 15, and the other cams19 and 21 are maintained in engagement by a coiled spring 23, which hasits ends connected to the legs 12 and 14 above the fulcrums of-thelatter.

Below the fulcrums, the diametrically opposite legs areconnected-together by linkage 24 and 25. Each said linka referablycomprises a central link 26 3v '0 has its inter-'' mediate portionpivotally connected to the 9:: center post, and lts opposite endspivotally connected to links 28 and 29 that are pivotally connected toopposite ones of the legs.

. The lower end portion of each leg is provided with a guard 30consisting of oppositely extending arms 31; and the arms of adjacentlegs alternate, so that when the lower ends of the device collapse undera blow which is struck when the device hits the ground, these arms willnot interfere with one another. Furthermore, these arms provide a pen orconfining means for a mail sack 33 or the like, which is to be deliveredby the structure.

The mail sack or similar article to be released by my mechanism isconnected to a delivery rod 36 which is threaded upwardly through thebore 7 of the center post, and is provided at its upper end with a hook38 that is designed to rest upon a sliding pin 39 which is pivotallymounted on the arm 15, and slides horizontally in a hole which extendslaterally through the post toward the bore of said post.

For the purpose of suspending the device from an aeroplane or the like,the top of'the post 6 may be provided with a bail 40 connected to oneend of a rope or cable 41. The opposite end of the rope will beconnected to the aircraft, but is preferably wound upon a drum on thelatter. In practice, the device will be arranged aboa d the aircraft,and

when it is to be used, the operator ties a mail bag or any other packageon to one end of the delivery rod 36, and then the hook end of this rodis threaded into the lower end of the .bore of. the central 0st, and thehook 38. s engaged with the siding pin 39. Then, if the device islowered, it wil due to the pressure of the air, as the aircraft movesforwardly, assume an inclined position, (see Fig. 7

6), with the lower end of one or the other of its legs arranged nearerthe ground surface than some of the other legs. Consequently,

when the aircraft flies sufliciently low over the spot where the mail orthe like is to be delivered, the lower'end of one or the other of thelegs will strike the ground. The resulting impact will cause that leg torock on its fulcrum, and as all of the legs are interconnected for jointmovement in the manner heretofore described, obviously, all of the legswill swing about their fulcrums to the same degree, with the result thatthe sliding pm 39 will be withdrawn from the bore of the central post,

' delivery rod, so that the mail sack, and the delivery rod will bedeposited on the landing surface. After delivery, the ro from whic thedevice is suspended, will raised into the aeroplane, and the parts willbe returned to normal position under the influence of the coiled springs22, 23. Therefore, as soon as the device is again elevated into theaircraft, it will be in readiness for attachment to another one of thepackage delivery rods 36.

To prevent the upper ends of the legs. from swinging outwardly while thedevice is being manipulated within the aircraft, I prefer to provide thedevice with .some means for and thusrelease the hook 38' on the latchingthe legs temporarily against movement. Such means may consist of anL-shaped arm 45 which is pivotally connected at 46 to the upper end ofthe central post, and is adapted to swing over and engage the upper endof the leg 15. As all of the legs are constrained to move in unison, itis apparent that this single latch will function to secure all of thelegs temporarily against movement. I also prefer to provide the devicewith means to limit the collapsing movement of the legs. Such means maycomprise a stop 50, rigidly mounted on the leg 15, and adapted toimpinge against the central post when the upper ends of the legs areswung outwardly.

From the above description, it is believed that the construction,operation and advantages of the invention may be readily understood bythose skilled in the art, and it is manifest that the parts may be madeof any suitable material or dimensions, and that changes ma be made inthe details dis closed, without eparting from the s irit of theinvention, as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A parcel delivering device for aircraft,

- comprising a plurality of relatively movable members for releasing thepackage from said supporting means.

2. A package deliverin device for aircraft, comprising a plura ity ofrelatively movable members, means for supporting a package to bedelivered, and mechanism associated with and actuated by the movement ofany one of said members for releasing the package from the supportingmeans.

3. A package delivering device for 'aircraft, comprising a frame, aplurality of leg members pivotally connected to the frame and movablerelatively to one another, a package support on the frame, and means forreleasing the package from its support upon movement of any one of saidmembers.

4. A package delivering device for aircraft, comprising a frame, aplurality of similar members pivotally mounted on the frame,

means operatively connectin said members for causing all of said mem rsto move in unison when any one of the members is moved, a packagesupport on the frame, and

means for causing the package to be released from said support uponmovement of any one of said members.

' 5. A package delivering device for aircraft, comprising a frame, aplurality of similar legs pivotally mounted on the frame, means forcausing all of said legs to move in unison when any one of the legs ismoved, a pack- Ill causing vall of said legs to move when any one of thesame is moved, a package support carried by the frame, and means forreleasing the package support upon movement of any one of said legs.

7. A package delivering device for aeroplanes, comprising a centralframe, legs pivotally connected to said frame, means for causing saidlegs to move in unison when any one of the legs ismoved, said meansincluding cams movable with one of the legs, and cooperating cams onothers of the legs, a package support carried by the'frame, and meansfor causing a package to be released from the support upon movement ofany one of said legs.

8. A device for delivering mail or the like from an aircraft, comprisinga frame, rela tively movable members pivotally connected to the frameand projecting from the latter,

means for causing said members to move in unison when any one of saidmembers is moved, a package support, and means for moving the packagesupport out of supporting position upon movement ofany one of saidmembers. I

9; A package delivering device for aircraft, comprising a frame, legspivotallv connected intermediate their ends to said frame,

ing rod, a support designed to carry said rod, relatively movablemembers connected to said frame, means for causing all of the members tomove in un son when any one ofthe members is moved, and means for on theframe and adapted to be moved out of supporting position upon movementof an one of said legs.

12. A package delivering device for aircraft, comprising a central frameprovided with a supporting pin, arms projecting from the frame, legspivotally .connected to said arms, one of said legs being operativelyconnected to said supporting pin, resilient means normally forcing theupper ends of the arms toward the frame, cams mounted on the legs forcausing the upper ends of the legs to move away from the frame in unisonwhen any one of said legs is moved in a certain direction, and linkspivotally connecting the legs and frame and arranged below the pointswhere the legs are pivoted to the frame.

13. A mail delivering device comprising a central frame provided with amovable support, legs arranged around the frame and having theirintermediate portions pivotally f connected to the frame, means forcausing the ,legs to move in unison when any one of the legsis moved,and guards arranged on the lower-portion of each leg, the guards of adjacent legs overlapping one another.

14. A device for releasing packages from an aircraft, comprising aframe, legs having their intermediate portions pivotally connected tothe frame, means for causing said legs to move in unison about theirfulcrums when any one of the legs is swung about its fulcrum, a packagesupport on the frame designed to be moved out of supporting positionwhen any one of the legs is swung about its pivot, and latching meansarranged on the frame and engaging one of the legs for tem- I porarilypreventing the legs from swinging on their pivots.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY F. STILWELL.

withdrawing the support from supporting position when any one of saidmembers is moved relatively to the frame.

11. A device for delivering packages from aircraft, comprising .acentral frame having supporting arms projecting therefrom at angles toone another, legs pivotally connected to said arms, resilient meansfunction ing to yieldingly force one end of each arm toward the frame,means for causing the last mentioned ends of the legs to move away fromthe frame upon movement of the opposite end of any one of the legs inthe opposite direction, and a package support arranged

